Mechanical musical instrument.



P. e. LYNDE. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 26. 1909.

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Patented June 27, 19114 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. G. LYNDE.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 001226, 1909.

Patnted June 27, 1911.

2 sums-$32M 2.

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FRANK G, L'YND E, OF NEW- YORK, N. Y.

MECHANICAL MUsIcAL INSTRUMENT.

Specificationof Letters Patent. P t nted'J'une'2'7, 1911,

Application filed October 26,1509. Serial No. 524,713.

. To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANK G." LY DE, a citizen of the'United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan of'thecity of 'New- York, in the State ofNew York, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in, Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part-hereofn v This invention relates especially to theplayer pneumatics by which the hammers of pneumatic player pianos and pianoplayers plicahle to pneumatics or similar devices employed in instruments of this character for other specific purposes.

One object of the invention: is the 'attainment of compactness in the construction and arrangement of such pneumatics, as well as economy in construction. Another 'object is to enable the pneumatics to be com-' pletely inclosed so that their operation shall be less audible than is frequently'thelcase.

Still another object is to secure greater facility of adjustment, both with respect to the transmission of movement from the movable member of the pneumatic. to the actumotion of the arrows.

ated part and with respectto'the valve. The invention will be more fully *explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which it is illus trated and in which Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section showing'the' improved pneumatics in their relation to the primary pneumatics and thewind chest and the actuating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal section'on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the di- Fig. 3 is a view in elevation from the rear, the back plate of one of the pneumatics being removed. Fig.

4; is a top View.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the bellows mechanism or wind trunk,

not shown, is connected through tube a with the common wind chest b of the primaryipneum'atic s 0, the operations of which although some features are apare controlled, individuall'y, by connections d to the tracker board. Each primary pneu matic c is connected through a passage 6 with the diaphragm chamber 6' of the corresponding player pneumatic f. Each player pneumatic 1s constructed substantiallyas usual, comprising a vertical diaphragm board 9 which may be common to a 'lo'ngitudinalseries of player pneumatics and is provided with a series of apertures g in -which are secured the diaphragms 9' a separate valve board it for each pneumatic, such valve board having anaperture h with which i the valve 2'. cooperatesy' a cap 7.0,

I having an aperture 7c with which the valve i also cooperates, and vertical bellows l. The chamber on the opposite side of the diaphragm g? from the chamber 0', is connected with the vacuum system through a conduit 9 as usual. The chamber 71. be-

tween the valve board h and the cap is, communicates, according to the position of theof the pneumatics of a longitudinal series,

1s mounted in vertical grooves min guide blocks m at the ends of-the mainframe or casing, so that when the structure which comprises the primary pneumatics and wind chest is removed, as indicated in Fig. 2, each boardg, with its player pneumatics, can be withdrawn vertically for adjustment or 'repair of the pneumatics.

Eachmovable member 1 of the bellows Z has extended downwardly from it a'finger Z? which is slotted,-asjat Z tostraddle the corresponding transmitting rod n. The lat t'er is-mounted horizontally in guides 11' below the pneumatics and isthreaded, as at 1 to receive adjustably a nut n for cooperation with the finger Z At its front or left hand end, at the left of the guide support '21,, each rod n is threaded, as at 72 to receive adjustably a locking nut 11 by which the movement of the rod to the right,

as the Corresponding bellows Z is collapsed, is limited. At its rear or right hand end each rod bears against the vertical arm 0 of a jack or bell crank 0 which is'pivoted in a suitable support of, ts horizontal'arm 0 standing under a block p secured to the vertical rod or abstract p by the movement of which the hammer is actuated. An adjustable stop p overlies each, block 32' to limit the upward movement of the rod or abstract p. Great nicety of adjustment in the movement of the rod or abstract p thus becomes possible through the adjustment of the stop p by which the movement of the rod or abstract p is limited and by adjustment of the nut or stop 72, by which the movement of the actuating rod 71 is limited.

The valve 2' comprises a flexible supporting strip 2" which is secured at its upper end to the valve board it, and disks 2' of metal, such as aluminum, or other suitable stifi material, which'are secured on opposite sides of the flexible strip 71 and are suitably formed, as with annular bosses i, to make a tight closure against the valve board it or the cap 7:: around the apertures 72, or lc,-as the case may be, an annular valve cushion i being set in the valve board it or cap is about the aperture therethrough.

Nuts 2"" are placed on opposite sides of the disks or plates 11 and all parts are secured firmly together by a screw 2' which carries at its inner end a button 2" to bear on the diaphragm g Sufficient inclination is given to the valve board It to cause the valve 2', which hangs from the point of'support at the upper end of the flexible strip 2", to rest normally against the valve board 71, closing the aperture 72. and opening the bellows Z to atmospheric pressure through the aperture or port The vertical disposition of each pneumatic permits the several pneumatics to be set very close together from front to rear, so that a full set occupies very much less space than is usual and can be conveniently boxed in or inclosed completely so that the operation of the pneumatics is inaudible. The corresponding pneumatics of the several series mayalso be placed directly in line, one behind another, the fingers Z be ing staggered or ofisct to cooperate with the several transmitting rods- For purposes of adjustment or repair, the structure which com rises the primary pneumatics and their win chest is lifted off and eachlongi'tudinal series of player pneumatics may then be withdrawn without disturbing connections, since the slotted fingers Z lift off from the rods 71. If relative adjustment of the diaphragms and valves is then required, it may be readily etl'ected by the screws 2' which are then exposed, the caps 70 being removed, if necessary, so as to permit each valve to be turned up. The adjusting screws 72 which limit the upward movement of the abstracts 10 as well as the adjusting nut n for the transmitting rods n, are accessible for adjustment without removing 75 the pneumatics, while the nuts 92 on the rods n are readily accessible when the pneumatics have been withdrawn:

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mechanical musical instrument, thecombination of a series of vertically dis-- posed player pneumatic actions having a common vertical diaphragm board with its diaphragms and valves and vertical bellows each cooperating directly with its valve and-a primary pneumatic structure above and resting upon the ends of the player pneumatic actions, and comprising primary pneumatics with channels for communication with the player pneumatic actions.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination ofa series of vertically disposed player pneumatic actions having each a vertical diaphragm and a vertical valve depending freely from its point of support atthe upper end, and a primary pneumatic structure above and resting upon the ends of the player pneumatic actions and comprising primary pneumatics with channels communicating with the player pneumatic 10C actions.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a longitudinal series of vertically disposed player pneumatics having each a vertical valve depending freely 1 from its point of support at the upper end, said series of pneumatics comprising a common supporting board, substantially vertical guides to receive said supporting board, and'a series of primary pneumatics 110 superimposed upon the player pneumatics and communicating therewith.

4. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a series of vertically disposed player pneumatics, horizontal transother and the actuating fingersof said pneu- This specificatien signed and witnessed maties being staggered or ofiset, a pluralthis 25th day of October, A. D., 1909. ity of transmitting rods below each set of neumatics in line from front to rear and FRANK t}. LYNDE. severally engaged by the actuating fingers of the correspondingPneumatics, and means Signed in the presence of for supporting said rods independently AMBROSE L.'()SHEA,

the pneumatics. V. B GREELEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

